Time Travel Charts Test Your Knowledge Of Fiction’s Fourth Dimension

By David Wharton | Updated

We’ve seen some really cool things done with the concept of the so-called “minimalist poster.” The challenge of reducing something down to its essence, represented in as simple a visual as possible, can be both challenging and fun. That’s the same basic idea behind these clever little time travel charts put together by the folks at Buzzfeed. They distill a bunch of classic (and a few more obscure) time travel flicks down to a basic representation of the time travel itself: are people going back or forward, or both? Sometimes it’s pretty straightforward, like this one for the Jennifer Garner comedy 13 Going on 30.

13Going

In that flick, young, unpopular Jenna wishes herself to be “30, flirty, and thriving” and poof: she’s jumped from 1987 to 2004, and into her 30-year-old self (Jennifer Garner). Pretty easy, right? Well, they aren’t all as simple as that one. This one is a little more complicated, but if you can’t figure it out within like three seconds you’ll need to leave your Nerd Card with human resources and pack up your things.

BTTF2

1955, 1985, and 2015? Clearly it’s Back to the FutureBack to the Future Part II, to be precise. But how about this one?

12Monkeys

The answer is…well, where’s the fun in just telling you? We’re not going to ruin it up here for the people who want to text their mettle at figuring these out. The answers for all of these are down at the bottom, and you can see several more over at Buzzfeed. I got all but one right on the first try, but no pressure; I’m a professional, people. I have business cards with a robot on them and everything. Good luck!

Tmntr

STIV

Lpr

BTEA

GD

Okay, if you want to check yourself, scroll on down below the picture of Van Damme’s future-splits.

TimeCop

Starting after the Back to the Future image, the correct answers are:

  • 12 Monkeys
  • The Terminator
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
  • Looper
  • Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
  • Groundhog Day